The platonic date with Ivanka Trump had been listed online as LOT #1182106 and promised the winner coffee — at an "estimated value" of $50,000 — in either New York or Washington, D.C., the New York Timesreported Thursday.

Proceeds were to go to the Eric Trump Foundation. According to its website, the foundation is "dedicated to raising money" for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

As the Times reported, however, auctioning off a coffee date with Ivanka Trump raised questions of ethics, given the extensive role she has been playing during her father's transition into office.

Ozan M. Ozkural, a London-based investment manager, told the Times he bid $60,000 on the "date" because he wanted to get a sense of what Donald Trump's presidency might mean for countries where Ozkural invests.

In other words, the auction was seen as a way for bidders to trade money for political access that could result in financial gain.

Donald Trump surrounded by members of his family.Source: Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images

Eric Trump told the Times that auctioning off a coffee date with a member of the Trump family was a tradition.

"We've done this every year," he said. "We utilized CharityBuzz to raise significant funds. Every single year we've auctioned off a lunch with one of ourselves. It's nothing more than an effort to raise a lot of money in an effort to help sick children."

Bidding for coffee with Ivanka Trump appeared to have ended prematurely.Source: CharityBuzz

But Trump also told the Times he was considering "shutting down" the auction.